Datasheet

24
Part I: Before You Begin
Using the object-creation tools
InDesign has a bunch of tools for creating shapes. Part V covers them in
more depth, but you should know about a few of them now because they
create objects that can contain either text or graphics. Plus, you can also use
them to draw your own shapes that you then color or otherwise embellish in
your layout. Here’s what you need to know:
✓ Pen tool: With the Pen tool, you can create simple illustrations. You
use the Pen tool, which is modeled after the pen tools in Illustrator and
Photoshop, to create paths (both open, such as lines, and closed, such
as shapes) consisting of straight and curved segments. Give it a try —
it’s fun! (Chapter 7 explains how to use the tool.)
✓ Type tool: The Type tool lets you draw rectangular text frames, as well
as type text inside them.
✓ Line tool: The Line tool lets you draw freestanding lines (paths) on your
page. After selecting this tool, simply click and drag the mouse to draw
the line. Holding the Shift key while you click and drag constrains the
line angle to 45-degree increments, which is useful for creating straight
horizontal and vertical lines.
✓ Frame and shape tools: InDesign has three frame tools (Rectangle Frame,
Ellipse Frame, and Polygon Frame) and three shape tools (Rectangle,
Ellipse, and Polygon). The frame and shape tools are redundant because
both frames and shapes can hold text or graphics or be empty.
Because the frame and shape tools really do the same thing, you might
use the frame tool when creating frames that will have their content
added later. Why? Because the frames appear with a big X through them,
making them easier to spot when looking for frames to fill. The shape
tools create frames without that X, so it’s easier to overlook them.
To create a rectangle or ellipse, choose the appropriate tool, click some-
where in the document window, and drag the mouse to another loca-
tion. The rectangle or ellipse fills the area. But creating a polygon works
differently, as Chapter 7 explains.
Using the navigation tools
Several tools, described in the following list, help you navigate your docu-
ment so that you can move around your pages, move your pages around the
screen, and change the degree of magnification to see just part of a page or to
see several pages at once.
05_614495-ch01.indd 2405_614495-ch01.indd 24 4/2/10 1:21 PM4/2/10 1:21 PM